NCJ Number
105504
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 9 Dated: (1985) Pages: 471-477
Date Published
1985
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Developed in response to inmates' recognition of the need for child-abuse-and-neglect prevention services relevant to male inmates, Parents in Prison is an innovative family support service housed at the Tennessee State Prison for Men.
Abstract
Program leadership is provided by an inmate committee which receives consultation and assistance from a community advisory board and an institutional sponsor. Program components -- correspondence and classroom courses, monthly events featuring community guest speakers, and family-focused social activities and projects -- address family needs during incarceration and upon return to community living. Diverse program components and the flexible format for service delivery permit widespread inmate participation. Program successes demonstrate that the incarceration period can be used to improve parenting skills and knowledge and to strengthen family relationships. The future success of the model depends on replication in other prison settings, dissemination of the program products, and systematic examination of the impact that program participation has on child abuse and neglect problems associated with a father's incarceration. 13 references. (Author abstract modified)